World on Fire

I had a lot of time to think on my recent train trip. The thing about traveling that way is that it forces you to slow down and look at things from a different perspective. Sometimes, you are moving through areas where there are no roads or cars. At night, lying in bed with the horizon removed, you feel like you are floating in space as the constellations move around you just outside the window. It feels like you are inside the sound---the whistle, the click-clack, the squeals of the brakes---not sitting at a fixed point experiencing the doppler effect as the train passes by. Even with all of the modern conveniences available (wi-fi, wine tastings, cinema...), being on a train connects you with something distant.

I thought about how people used to always travel long distances on the train. Travel must have felt far more significant. There was no flying out to see grandma for a long weekend. I imagine that a "family vacation" was not a concept yet. The train was a way to change your life. Maybe it still is. In an age where we're all in such a hurry to get to the destination, it reminded me that it is important to remember and appreciate the journey that gets you there.

The area where I grew up is on fire.

from Alpine toward Ft. Davis by John Schwerdtfeger

Looking east of Alpine by John Schwerdtfeger

It is devastating and sad to read posts from friends who have lost homes...to think about all the places I knew well growing up...and to see people trying to drive cattle down the highway away from the fire. It's an old-fashioned sort of area. We're not fancy. It may not be much, but it was my journey.

Volunteer firefighters are doing their best to battle multiple fires, some as large as 2 miles wide, 20 miles long, covering 4 miles every 30 minutes. Much of the fighting must be done with dirt. Water is running low, and with the fire cutting through electrical poles, there is no power to pump what is left.


You can find out more at these sources:

• Marfa Public Radio site and Twitter feed
  
• The Big Bend Sentinel (the paper my mother works with) and Twitter feed
  
• Fort Davis Fires and Benefit Concert on Facebook

Want to help? Check out the list of ways provided by Big Bend Now or post or tweet the link for others to get involved. Thanks.